Alien Rides (legally Alien Technology Group, Inc.) is a personal electric vehicle retailer and repair shop in San Francisco, California. In January 2026, the company co-filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission seeking to ban imports of electric unicycles from five major Chinese manufacturers, using two patents held by its partner Inventist, Inc.[1] The ITC instituted Investigation No. 337-TA-1488 on March 2, 2026.[2]
| Basic information | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021 |
| Legal Structure | Private |
| Industry | Electric vehicles,Retail |
| Also known as | Alien Technology Group Inc,AlienRides |
| Official website | https://alienrides.com/ |
Consumer-impact summary
- Co-complainant with Inventist in an ITC Section 337 case seeking a general exclusion order that would block electric unicycles from five manufacturers at the U.S. border[3]
- Named respondents (LeaperKim, BEGODE, Inmotion, Kingsong, Nosfet) account for nearly all high-performance EUC models available in the United States[4]
- EUC community organized a boycott of Alien Rides after the filing became public[5]
Incidents
===
- Main article: AlienRides LLC tries and bans all importation of Electric Unicycles using patent law unless licensing fee is paid.===
Inventist and Alien Rides filed an ITC complaint on January 21, 2026, asserting U.S. Patent No. 8,807,250 and U.S. Patent No. D729,698 against five Chinese EUC manufacturers. The complaint seeks a general exclusion order that would block the named products at the U.S. border unless the manufacturers agree to licensing terms.[3] The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had previously affirmed that at least one respondent's second-generation designs did not infringe the utility patent.[6]
Background
Alien Rides operates a retail and repair shop at 2256 Palou Ave, San Francisco.[3] The company is the U.S. distribution partner for Inventist, Inc., founded by Shane Chen, the inventor of the Solowheel self-balancing electric unicycle.[1] Alien Technology Group filed a trademark for "Alien Rides" in June 2021 covering online retail for personal electric vehicles.[5]
Kevin Grandon operates the business. In a January 28, 2026 statement responding to community backlash, Grandon stated that "patent enforcement does not mean the industry has to stop" and that "licensing is common across every technology sector."[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Notice of Receipt of Complaint; Solicitation of Comments Relating to the Public Interest". Federal Register. U.S. Government Publishing Office. January 26, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Gyro-Stabilized Electric Unicycles and Components Thereof". United States International Trade Commission. March 2, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Certain Gyro-Stabilized Electric Unicycles and Components Thereof and Products Containing the Same; Institution of Investigation". Federal Register. U.S. Government Publishing Office. March 5, 2026. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ Mwaniki, Amos (January 29, 2026). "Shocking Scandal: Alien Rides Accused of Patent Scheme to Block EUC Imports and Crush Competition!". Eride Corner. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 WheelGoodTime (January 28, 2026). "URGENT: Imminent Death Threat of the Entire EUC Industry". Electric Unicycle Forum. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- ↑ "Inventist Inc. v. Ninebot Inc. (USA), No. 24-1010" (PDF). United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. November 14, 2025. Retrieved 2026-03-26.